INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 24: Running back Donald Brown #31 of the Indianapolis Colts runs the ball against the New York Jets during the first half of the AFC Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 24, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Photo: Jonathan Daniel, ST

INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 24: Running back Donald Brown #31 of the...

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 10: Darius Butler #28 of the New England Patriots gets set to return a kick against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2010 AFC wild-card playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 10, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Photo: Elsa, ST

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 10: Darius Butler #28 of the New England...

SEATTLE - AUGUST 29: Tyvon Branch #33 of the Oakland Raiders makes the catch before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on August 29, 2008 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Raiders 23- 16. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Photo: Otto Greule Jr, ST

SEATTLE - AUGUST 29: Tyvon Branch #33 of the Oakland Raiders makes...

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - CIRCA 2011: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Will Beatty of the New York Giants poses for his NFL headshot circa 2011 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images)
Photo: Handout, Getty Images

New York Giants' Will Beatty comes onto the field before an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Photo: Bill Kostroun, Associated Press

Something you may not know about the pro football factory up in Storrs: In the past five NFL Drafts, seven UConn football alumni have been selected in the first four rounds.

To put that in perspective, that's the same number as Nebraska and Stanford. It's more than Florida State (6), Oklahoma State (6) and Kansas State (4). In fact, it's more than any other Big East team in that span.

Now here's something you probably do know about UConn football: No one says, "Man, they've got some serious pro talent in that Burton Complex."

"When people think of UConn, I don't think they think we have athletes," said former Husky Blidi Wreh Wilson, projected as a second-round pick in this week's NFL Draft. "I feel like we quieted a lot of haters (at the NFL combine)."

But the problem has never been the combine, a test of athleticism that typically becomes a UConn showcase. The perceived problem has been the NFL playing field.

Donald Brown, the school's only first-round pick, has disappointed in his four years with the Colts. Once regarded as a top prospect, Darius Butler landed in Indianapolis this past year after unsuccessful stints with the Patriots and Panthers. Cody Brown, a second-rounder in 2009, is now a free agent.

All three contribute to the widely accepted notion that UConn players do not perform well in the NFL.

In this week's draft, the Huskies have four more guys -- Wreh Wilson, Sio Moore, Bridgeport's Trevardo Williams and Dwayne Gratz -- who could potentially get plucked in the top four rounds. My argument -- my question, really -- was simple: How much can school affiliation negatively impact the draft stock of current prospects?

"There are a couple of schools -- one in particular, but I won't mention them -- where the program is not intense enough, where they don't work hard enough and they pamper the athletes," Casserly said, apparently not speaking of UConn. "They've had a number of players who weren't successful, and that does cross your mind, but you try to rate each player as an individual."

"What you do in those programs that you're concerned about," Casserly continued, "is you spend more time investigating intangibles and you don't take everything at face value. So you do scout the school, yes."

Here's how I broke it down: I analyzed players drafted in the top four rounds because fifth-, sixth- and seventh-rounders often are long shots to make a roster (or can only stick for a single season). So we're essentially looking at the top half of the past five drafts, players expected to make contributions.

To formulate a "success rate" over that period, I devised the following formula: Back-ups get one point, starters get two points, All-Pros get four points and Tom Brady gets five points. Total points are divided by total draft picks (all in the top four rounds, remember) and there's your number.

Some of the results: UConn checked in at 1.14, Pittsburgh 1.6, Louisville scored an even 1, West Virginia -- the powerhouse of the old Big East -- was at 0.5 and Rutgers (somehow) registered a 2.67.

Even outside of the Big East, the scores weren't all that different. Michigan was at 1.25 (and would have been lower than UConn if it weren't for All-Pro Jake Long), Florida State checked in at 1.5 and Maryland registered at 1.2.

Save for the Alabamas and LSUs of the world, all schools seem to follow a similar pattern: A few backups, a few starters, a free agent and/or practice squad player and then one star.

Perhaps Donald Brown, drafted ahead of McCoy, was supposed to become the "star," a beacon from the NFL to Storrs. That hasn't happened, though, and four seasons into his career, it's become clear that it won't. At best, Brown can find a home as a fringe starter.

Perhaps the absence of a superstar is chiefly responsible for the popular "UConn can't cut it in the NFL" opinion. Because, just based on the numbers, the Huskies are on-par with most other college programs. Tyvon Branch and Will Beatty -- both starters -- recently inked long-term deals, and late-round picks Donald Thomas and Robert "Reggie" McClain have carved out starting roles in Indianapolis and Atlanta, respectively.

Maybe Kendall Reyes, who posted 5.5 sacks as a rookie in San Diego, will emerge as a starter in his sophomore campaign, which would give UConn five NFL starters in the past five drafts. Not a bad ratio if you ask me.

The point is, UConn has done better at the next level than you think. And adding four more players in the first half of the 2013 draft -- a distinct possibility -- only helps. If that happens, it'll be 11 Huskies selected in the top four rounds since 2008. Right now, Oregon and Notre Dame each have nine players fitting those criteria.

Now, let's be clear here. I'm not confusing UConn football with Oregon or Notre Dame. Top-to-bottom depth -- among other things -- puts those schools on a totally separate level. But the fact remains: Recently, UConn has produced as many high-round picks as most programs, which must mean there's some real individual talent in Storrs.